Automatic horse-feeder



W. P. KELLOGG. AUTOMATIC EoEsE EEEDEE.

Patented Nov, 19,- 1889.

\"WHHII H! UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

'ALTER P. KELLOGG, OF SYRACUSE, NEYV YORK.

AUTOMATIC HORSE-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,389, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed April 8, 1889- Serial No. 306,403. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VALTER P. KELLOGG, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. 7

My invention has reference to the class of automatically-operating devices which are controlled by the alarm-tripping lever of an alarm-clock to operate at a predetermined time, and it relates specially 'to a device in which a pulley or roller is mounted on a short track and by means of a chain or cord supports the damper of a furnace or other device to be operated automatically, and a locking-lever controlled by the alarm tripping lever throws the pulley or roller from the aforesaid track, and thus produces the aforesaid automatic action. Said devices as heretofore constructed depended solely on the force of a spring, which by means of a bareither pulled or pushed the roller off the track, which latter was horizontal. Practical experience wit-l1 such devices has disclosed several serious defectsviz.,sometimes the spring was either broken or weakened by the strain it is often subjected to for periods of several hours at a time, and consequently the device failed to pull or push the roller from the track. This failure is also liable to be caused by the binding and straining of the alarmtripping lever of the clock, incident to the engagement therewith of the push-bar under the pressure of the spring; and, furthermore, in setting the apparatus for action there is always a liability of placing the roller at the wrong side of the push-bar in mounting the said roller on its track, and it is obvious that when this is done the roller cannot be thrown from the track by the push-bar. All of these defects are overcome by my present invention, which consists, essentially, in placing the track in an inclined position, so that it is impossible for the roller to remain thereon until a locking-bar is set in position to retain the roller on the track, said locking-bar being sustained in said position by its engagement with the alarm -tripping lever of the clock, as hereinafter more fully described, and specifically set forth in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved automatic device, illustrating its arrangement for depositing feed in troughs at a predetermined time, and for switching out a burglar-alarm or other electrical apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation of that portion of the clock mechanism to which the automatically-operating lockingbar is connected, and Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the connection of said locking-bar with the alarm-tripping lever.

Said drawings illustrate only one of the many uses to which the automatic device is applicable. It is obvious that it may be employed for regulating at a predetermined time the dampers of a furnace in a manner similar to that shown in the Patent No. 329,995, of November 10, 1885, or for turning on or off water, or turning off the illuminating-gas, &c.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A represents an ordinary alarm-clock, and a the usual alarm-tripping lever thereof. 2

C denotes a locking-bar, which slides longitudinally in guides c c on the clock, and is provided with a shoulder 11, which is adapted to engage the aforesaid alarm-tripping lever by drawing the locking'bar partly outward from the clock, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. To the outer end of said lockingbar I preferably pivot a roller 9', for the purpose hereinafter explained.

A spring (Z may be employed to force the locking-bar back when released from the alarm-tripping lever. Said spring, however, is rendered unnecessary by my improved arrangement of the track i, which is inclined toward the locking-bar and at such an angle of inclination as to cause a roller or wheel when mounted thereon to automatically run off from the lower end of said track.

D represents a tripper consisting of a roller 6, pivoted to a strap 6, from which is extended a cord or chain f, which is connected to the device to be automatically operated, which in this case is represented to consist of an electrical burglar-alarm switch and a feeder for live stock, the latter being illustrated in the form of gates g in feed-hoppers h h h. Said gates are hinged to one side of the interiors of the hoppers and are sustained in their closed position by latches Z, connected to said gates. To each of said latches is attached a cord or chain at, which runs over a pulley 0 on the exterior of the hopper and overa pulley 0' above the hopper, and is attached to another cord or chain 02', which is extended horizontally over the series of hoppers and passes with its end portions over pulleys p p, and has connected to one end a weight 8, sufficient to draw all the latches Z in the hoppers h h h out of engagement, and thus allow the gates g to drop. A lighter weight 8 may be attached to the opposite end of the cord or chain n to maintain the same taut. To this latter cord or chain is also connected the cord or chain f, which is extended from the carrier D, as hereinbefore described.

B denotes the switch of an electrical burglar-alarm, said switch in this case being represented in the form of a pivoted metallic arm having one end weighted, as shown at u, and under the path of the opposite end thereof is one of the terminals '0 of the alarm-circuit, the other terminal being connected to the pivot of the arm.

The operation of my improved automatic device is as follows: To set it for operation, the roller eis mounted upon the inclined track t, and by drawing out the locking-bar O suffi- ,cient to bring its shoulder 12 into engagement with the alarm-tripping lever a the outer end of said locking-bar is brought to bear with its roller 1" against the side of the strap Z facing the lower end of the track, and thus the locking-bar retains the roller e on the track. The alarm of the clock A, being set to operate at the desired time, causes the locking-bar O to be released at said time, and when this occurs said locking-bar is forced back toward the clock by the spring (Z and assistance of the gravity of the roller e, or the inclination of the track t may be made sufficiently steep to cause the said roller to push the locking-bar toward the clock without the aid of the spring,

also draw the latches Z out of their locked position, and this latter allows the gates g to drop and the superincumbent feed to descend from the hoppers into the trough or manger I.

The roller 0 obviates the friction incident to the horizontal movement of the lockingbar with the descending movement of the tripper D. I

It will be observed that by my invention the tripping of the roller 6 from the track If does not-depend on the power of a spring, but operates automatically by gravity, and the greater the weight suspended from the said roller the more positive is its action in running from the track when released by the locking-bar C.

Havingdescribed my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In combination with the alarm-clock,,its alarm-tripping lever a, and the locking-bar 0, adapted to engage said lever, the track 1, arranged inclined, and the roller e, sustained on saidinclined track by the locking-bar opposed to said roller at the side facing the lower end of the track, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 6th day of April, 1889.

WVALTER P. KELLOGG. [L. s.] VVit-nesses:

O. H. DUELL,

MARK W. DEWEY. 

